Protest over publisher’s detention

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) on Tuesday protested against the detention at the weekend of an Angolan newspaper editor, demanding that the authorities explain the action or charge or release him.

William Tonet, the editor and publisher of the independent bi-weekly ‘Folha 8’,was detained at his home on Saturday in a pre-dawn raid by officers of the Department of Criminal Investigations (DNIC)which had failed so far to give any reason for the action.

“One source said that Tonet was being held ‘for not paying fiscal duties’ to customs on a shipment of foreign goods which he imported into the country and that he was being investigated by the police’s Economic Crimes Unit,” MISA said in a statement. “Another source said that he was being held in connection with an article which appeared in ‘Folha 8’ last week and which alleged corrupt practices in the Economic Crimes Unit. Yet another source said that Tonet was being held by DNIC in connection with an article which quoted a press release from the UNITA rebel movement about the situation in the towns of Andulo and Bailundo in central Angola.”

Tonet has been held on three other occasions since April this year, and was currently facing court action for alleged “slander, insulting the army, libel, incitement to subversion and desertion”. MISA said the action against the editor constituted “both a violation of the Angolan Constitution and the fundamental human rights of media workers as enshrined in international treaties and conventions, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.